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Using a 12” x 12” photo frame, pennies were assembled in stacked rows side-to side and top to bottom with pennies touching. Clear contact paper was cut to size and placed on pennies. With a piece of cardboard on top of the contact paper, sheet was flipped over to remove it from frame. 100 square sheets were assembled.

To prep existing vinyl flooring for installation, appliances and base moulding were removed. Using a utility knife, damaged areas of vinyl flooring were removed. Removed areas were then filled with grey patch/skim coat. Once patch was dry, skim coat was applied to the entire surface of vinyl flooring. To ensure smoothness of skim coat, a finish sander with 60 grit paper was used over skim coat surface.

Atop of smoothed skim coat, penny sheets were placed contact paper side down in a dry fit application. Setting the pennies ahead of time helped determine when only a partial sheet was required. Once dry fit was complete, clear vinyl adhesive was applied for one row of pennies at a time. Penny sheets were placed contact paper side up onto a 12” x 12” piece of cardboard. Using the cardboard as a guide the pennies were slid into place on vinyl adhesive. Sheet was pressed firmly into place and then contact paper removed. Process was repeated until flooring was covered. Commercial grade epoxy was applied to the surface.

My eldest daughter has decided it’s time to see what life’s like outside the nest. Thrilled, she and her friends have found a charming townhouse at a reasonable rate. Having a visual eye, she is excited but wary of the paint that leans to pink. Why? Our environments have a great impact on us and effect how we feel in our day to day setting. Moving into a rental environment that you’re not crazy can make you a little crazy, because everyone needs to define personal space with things that makes us us.

The good news is there are plenty of ways to make rental spaces fabulous without making landlords fuss. Here are just two:

Ask if you can paint your space a different color. Some apartment complexes and property management companies allow painting upon approval. Say “goodbye pink!” (more…)

The Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, Holland is an exciting and intuitive study between the human and interior environment. On a recent trip to Europe I arrived at Schiphol after a flight from San Francisco. Sure, I was excited to arrive at the beginning of my vacation but didn’t anticipate the sensory pleasure I’d experience while awaiting my connecting flight to Switzerland. Uber-functional and beautiful, Schiphol couldn’t be in further contrast with SFO’s seemingly never-ending people movers and tightly packed restaurants. (more…)

The Merchandise Mart beckons. Built in 1930, The Mart in Chicago is design source Mecca. I have the opportunity to again visit this beautiful city. I will spend two of my days immersing myself at the Mart. This may indeed be the perfect destination for finding beautiful, unique architectural pieces for one of my clients. Sorry LA and SF, gotta go Chi -town or go home.

Followed up Feng Shui adjustments at home with a virtual Feng Shui makeover at the studio. I switched offices, purged unused library items and adjusted here and there. It seems to have aligned me with creative space. As much as I looked forward to working on my website today, instead I designed pillows, drapery, and selected fabric for dining chairs. The palette is playful, easy, relaxed, and enjoyable. Hurray.

This design is so good it gives me the shivers. The door makes me happy, as I imagine opening and closing it a lot. The furniture grouping is timeless and sophisticated, contrasting nicely with the door and its call to action.

Less than two weeks ago, I made a fair amount of feng shui corrections to my home. I am beginning to notice and feel energies, some subtle and some not. One of othe biggest awarenesses I’ve had is that the more I get my home in harmonic alignment, the more I realize how much my Design Studio can use a Feng Shui, take me away kind of day. It will feel so good.

On a recent trip to Seattle, I stayed at the Executive Pacific Hotel, a quaint boutique downtown hotel. One of the best features of the hotel is its close proximity to the Seattle Public Library, designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. Laminated tour cards of the building are available at the main desk, offering a fun and informative way to learn more about the 10 story structure. This is one of the most interesting and thoughtful buildings I’ve seen in a good while. If you’re ever in the rainy city, it’s a must see.

A better way to design a country vignette in my opinion would be to use an updated wallpaper in a current color scheme versus blue wallpaper and carpet that throws me back to 1980. The wicker is boring and predictable. The basket storing plans is nothing but a prop without a piece of furniture or wall space on which to unfurl drawings.